Author Topic: Bush Buddies Raking in War Bucks (Read 776 times)

rpm · « **on:** October 01, 2003, 05:19:30 AM »

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The firm is headed by Joe Allbaugh, Bush's campaign manager in 2000 and director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency until March. Directors include Edward Rogers Jr., vice chairman, and Lanny Griffith. Both were assistants to the elder President George Bush and now are closely linked to the White House.

The fuss about New Bridge comes as Bush is seeking congressional approval for $20.3 billion to rebuild Iraq, part of an $87 billion package for military and other needs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

From The Hill :

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A tsunami of American money is about to crest over Iraq. And all the GOP insiders — who have the pull to steer that money in one direction or another — are lining up to get a piece of the action.

With so much money in play it’s probably inevitable that there would be some insiders lining their pockets. What’s shocking is just how openly they’re doing it.

FromThe Charlotte Observer :

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Appearances matter in government, and they matter at the points where government touches private life. Here, people have set out to line their own pockets by taking advantage of connections they formed while in the pay and, ostensibly, the service of the taxpayers. This is just plain bad. It's bad for the Bush administration, and it's bad for the perceived integrity of the U.S. government.

Chalk up another one for Dubya and his boys.

Toad · « **Reply #1 on:** October 01, 2003, 07:50:44 AM »

The amazing thing is no firms run by Democrats or that have Democratic stockholders seem interested in doing any of the business.

They're not lobbying for the jobs at all!

Incredible, don't you think?

niknak · « **Reply #2 on:** October 01, 2003, 08:05:04 AM »

Maybe the point is these companies shouldn't politically affiliated.
The money should go to the companies who give the best value for money (it is your money after all).

If G. Bush's friends are offering the best value for money then it's not a problem. On the other hand if they do not and i was a US taxpayer, whatever my political affliation, i wouldn't want a company lining it's pockets with my money, even if they agreed with my politics.

popeye · « **Reply #3 on:** October 01, 2003, 08:53:23 AM »

ALL corporations are "politically affiliated", and most politicians are "corporately affiliated". Tax money goes to the corporation with the best connections, then some of it goes back to the politician as a campaign contribution. It's a win-win. (Except for the taxpayer.)

The Bush adminstration has just taken the art to a new level.

Toad · « **Reply #4 on:** October 01, 2003, 09:18:30 AM »

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Originally posted by popeye
The Bush adminstration has just taken the art to a new level.

Nothing new about it at all if you study the history of the US political system.

In fact, it's "business as usual" for both parties when they respectively held the White House.

Sixpence · « **Reply #5 on:** October 01, 2003, 09:23:56 AM »

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Originally posted by Toad
Nothing new about it at all if you study the history of the US political system.

In fact, it's "business as usual" for both parties when they respectively held the White House.

yep

popeye · « **Reply #6 on:** October 01, 2003, 10:15:04 AM »

A $2 billion no-bid contract for the VP's former employer is much more efficiency in the process than most previous administrations were able to attain.

Toad · « **Reply #7 on:** October 01, 2003, 11:11:47 AM »

I'm sure if anyone were bored enough to search one could find equally egregious examples in a Democratic administration, probably even the last one.

The piety is amusing but simply flies in the face of US Presidential history.

MrLars · « **Reply #8 on:** October 01, 2003, 11:17:43 AM »

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Originally posted by Toad
I'm sure if anyone were bored enough to search one could find equally egregious examples in a Democratic administration, probably even the last one.

The piety is amusing but simply flies in the face of US Presidential history.

You have a single example of a multi billion no-bid contract being awarded by the Clinton admin?

I don't think the GOP would stand for this happening on anybody's watch but their own.

Erlkonig · « **Reply #9 on:** October 01, 2003, 11:42:43 AM »

There's no way that the honorable man of integrity, moral character, and compassion - George Dubya Bush - would allow such blatant impropriety to occur under his watchful eye. Nope, not never.

Dune · « **Reply #10 on:** October 01, 2003, 11:44:14 AM »

When government does, occasionally, work, it works in an elitist fashion. That is, government is most easily manipulated by people who have money and power already. This is why government benefits usually go to people who don't need benefits from government. Government may make some environmental improvements, but these will be improvements for rich bird-watchers. And no one in government will remember that when poor people go bird-watching they do it at Kentucky Fried Chicken.
O'Rourke, P.J. (1994), All the trouble in the world. The lighter side of famine, pestilence, destruction and death. Sydney (Picador), 199

popeye · « **Reply #11 on:** October 01, 2003, 11:47:53 AM »

Toad, just so it's not so boring, be sure to find a circumstance where the VP was paid $376,690 by the company in question, and held 433,333 stock options in that company, DURING his tenur in office, while the contracts were being awarded.

http://lautenberg.senate.gov/~lautenberg/press/2003/01/2003925A22.html

rpm · « **Reply #12 on:** October 01, 2003, 01:45:56 PM »

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Originally posted by MrLars
You have a single example of a multi billion no-bid contract being awarded by the Clinton admin?

I don't think the GOP would stand for this happening on anybody's watch but their own.

He does not, because there isn't one. If anything even remotely resembling this had happened during Clinton's Presidency there would have been Special Procecutors, Congressional Hearings, Impeachment Proceedings, ect,ect,ect.... The Republicans would have cried "Ethics Violations" and "Self Serving Democrats". But it's fine now that the Republicans are doing it.

Toad · « **Reply #13 on:** October 01, 2003, 02:28:33 PM »

Sorry, guys... I'm way too busy to search.. but feel free to plead that Bill's admin was the first ever to be squeaky clean in this regard.

Dune · « **Reply #14 on:** October 01, 2003, 02:41:21 PM »

Let me ask a question:

Let's say that Company X has just won a job from the gov't. They are to be paid an amount reasonable considering the size, scope and difficulty of this job. They regarded around the world at being one of the best companies for this type of job and perhaps the one best equiped to complete it. They are one, if not the only, American company that is capable of succesfuly completing the project.

They also happen to be huge supporters of the current administration. One of the members of the admistration was even a high ranking member of the company before taking a position with the gov't.

So, my question to you is, "Is this wrong? Should this company have gotten the job?".